Soap dishes



Jan. 13, 1959 PITTON 2,867,940

SOAP DISHES Filed April 9, 1956 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY 3W1!! Rmfma Jan. 13, 1959 PITTON 2,867,940

SOAP DISHES Filed April 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BY ROBERT A.P|TTON ATTORNEY United States Patent SOAP DISHES Robert Andrew Pitton, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 9, 1956, Serial No. 577,039

4 Claims. (Cl. 45-28) The present invention relates to soap dishes and, more particularly, to a soap dish which is in essence, constructed to be, in part, reversible for the purpose of cleaning and washing.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an attractively and functionally designed flexible sanitary soap dish of substantially hemispherical form which can be cleaned easily and completely when the normally concave bowl of the soap dish, that is, the soap container proper, is flexed to its reverse or convex position.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a soap dish which, because of its substantially hemispherical shape is especially suited for the rapid and complete drying of the soap and dish.

A further object of importance is to design a soap dish which will hold a bar of soap in such a manner as to make the grasping of the bar of soap from the dish a much cleaner, neater and easier operation.

Another object of importance, in at least one form of the invention, is to construct a flexible soap dish so that a'thick, horizontally circular band of material is incorporated into either the inner or outer wall of the soap dish at the junction of the margin between the reversible hemispherical container and its upwardly tapering base or flared skirt. The thicker band of material will then act as a support whereby the flexible reversible soap container is aided in maintaining its normal concave, substantially hemispherical shape.

A further object of importance, in at least one variation of the above form of the invention, is to construct a soap dish in a similar manner, with the thick band of material around the inner or outer wall of the soap dish, having a groove in its center. A continuous circular wire may then be inserted into the groove which will in turn be of further aid in assisting the flexible soap container to keep its substantially hemispherical, normal concave bowl shape.

Further objects of importance are to provide a soap dish, as decribed, which can be manufactured at low cost, can be made of various durable, watertight but flexible materials such as rubber, plastic, etc., and formed in such a simple manner as to be manufactured and used with a minimum of difliculty.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

, In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line -40 of Fig. 1 of one form of the reversible soap dish, according to the present invention, in its normal concave position ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 1010 of Fig. 1 of one form of the reversible soap dish, according to the present invention, in its reversed convex position ready for cleaning.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modified construction in its convex position, having a thickened band of material extending around the inner wall of the soap dish.

Fig. 4a is an enlarged, fragmentary view, in section, of the thickened mid-section portion of the form of the soap dish shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of another modified construction, in its convex position, having a thickened band of material extending around its inner wall with an incorporated groove in its center and a continuous, circular wire frame, in place, in the groove.

Fig. 5a is an enlarged, fragmentary view, in section, of

the bevel shaped base, 13, as well as the inner hemisphere 12, are of moderately thin material, so thatthe concave or inner hemispherical portion 12, may be pushed or flexed upward and outward thus reversing the concave soap container portion when it is desirable to clean the soap dish. In this reversed condition, the tapering or flared annular base or skirt 13 will form a downward smooth continuation of the hemispherical bowl 12. Thus,

the exposed smooth continuous surface of the dish can be cleaned readily.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a modified form generally designated 21, and, when in its convex position ready for cleaning, having an upper portion 12 substantially formed in the shape of a convex hemisphere or dome and integral or otherwise connected at its periphery with a circular, substantially conical or bevel shaped, upwardly tapering base 13.

At the approximate mid-point halfway between the top of the soap dish, when in its convex position, and the lower margin of the base, there is an integrally formed circumferential band of material 14 incorporated into the inner wall of the soap dish which serves as a support in helping to maintain the shape of the soap dish when it is I in its concave position.

An alternate to this modified construction may have the integrally formed circumferential band of material 14 incorporated into the outer wall of the soap dish for greater ease in the manufacture of the article as well as ease in manipulation when the invention is put into use.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a further modified form generally designated 31, having an integrally formed circumferential band of material 15 with a circumferential groove in its inner-most periphery incorporated into the inner wall of the soap dish. Into the circumferential groove is fitted a continuous, circular wire 16, which, in this form of the invention, will assist in helping the soap dish to maintain its form when it is in its concave position.

In the same manner as above, an alternate to the modified construction of Fig. 5 may have the integrally formed circumferential band of material 15, with its circumferential groove, incorporated into the outer wall of the soap dish. As in Fig. 5 a continuous, circular wire is fitted into the groove. As above, this alternate to the modified construction of Fig. 5 may be of help in simplifying the Patented Jan. 13, 1959 manufacture of the invention as well as contributing toward ease in manipulating the soap dish when it is put into use.

In use the parts will normally appear as shown in the vertical sectional view in Fig. 2. The flexible soap dish is placed upon a flat surface with its center bowl shaped portion 12 depressed into a concave position, downward, so that it rests inside of the circular, bevel or conical shaped base 13. A bar of soap may then be placed into the center bowl shaped soap container. The soap dish, being substantially hemispherical, will normally cause the bar of soap, being substantially square or rectangular shaped, to be held at approximately a 45' angle by a minimum of points of rest thus allowing a rapid drainage and drying of water from the soap and dish. In addition a bar of soap being supported at such an angle, with a portion of the soap extending over the edge of the dish, is much more easily and neatly grasped than when it is in a horizontal position.

To clean the flexible reversible soap dish the user lifts and grasps the conical base of the soap dish 13 with either or both hands while pressing on the central point of the underface of the hemispherical bowl shaped container 12. In this manner the hemisphere is reversed, being forced upward and outward into its convex or dome shaped position as in Fig. 3. Thus, the soap dish herein shown, when in its convex position as in Fig. 3, can be easily, completely and efiiciently cleaned.

To prepare the soap dish for use again the flexing process is the reverse of that described above.

In the same manner as described above, the various modified forms of the reversible soap dish are used and manipulated for cleaning and washing.

As can readily be seen from the previous descriptions and accompanying drawings, I have provided a soap dish that can be made unusually sanitary because of the ease and efliciency that it may be made accessible for washing and cleaning. Further advantages of my invention are the ease and neatness with which a bar of soap can be grasped and lifted from the dish and the rapidity with which the soap dish and the bar of soap it contains are dried because of the angle at which the soap is held and because of the minimum number of points of contact between the soap and dish. It can also be seen that the soap dish herein provided is quite simply and inexpensively constructed being of one piece of material in an uncomplicated dome shape.

In all forms of the invention there is the common characteristic wherein the flexible concave bowl shaped soap container rests upon and within the circular, bevel or conical shaped base, the flexible bowl shaped container being alterable in such a manner that it is reversed, being forced or flexed upward and outward, its resulting appearance being that of a substantially hemispherical, convex dome, in which position the soap dish is completely accessible for cleaning.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent l. A dish comprising a central bowl of hemispherical form and a surrounding supporting skirt of annular form, said bowl being normally concave with its upper edge non-detachably attached to the upper edge of said skirt at an annular junction so that it is suspended therefrom and therewithin in dependent centered relationship thereto and with the skirt extending below the bottom of the bowl to support it, said bowl being of flexible material so that it can be flexed upwardly about said junction into convex position above said skirt to facilitate cleaning.

2. A dish according to claim 1 in which the skirt and bowl are both of flexible material, said skirt being flared outwardly towards its lower edge so that when the bowl is flexed upwardly into convex position, the skirt is a smooth continuation of the hemispherical convex bowl.

3. A dish according to claim 2 in which the bowl and skirt are integrally formed and a reinforcing band is provided at the junction of said skirt and bowl to aid in maintaining the normal concave position of the bowl.

4. A dish comprising a central bowl of hemispherical form and a surrounding supporting skirt of annular form, said bowl being normally concave with its upper edge attached to the upper edge of said skirt so that it is suspended therefrom and therewithin in dependent centered relationship thereto and with the skirt extending below the bottom of the bowl to support it, said bowl being of flexible material so that it can be flexed upwardly into convex position above said skirt to facilitate cleaning, said skirt being of flexible material and being flared outwardly towards its lower edge so that when the bowl is flexed upwardly into convex position, the skirt is a smooth continuation of the hemispherical convex bowl, said skirt and bowl being integrally formed and a reinforcing band being provided at the junction of said skirt and bowl to aid in maintaining the normal concave position of the bowl, said band having a continuous circular groove formed therein, and a reinforcing metal ring positioned in said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 28,238 Ladd May 8, 1860 386,804 Casey July 31, 1888 1,257,846 Gregory Feb. 26, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,381 Great Britain Mar. 19, 1894 

